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■兔年本港加風四起，交通津貼愈早落實對基層市民愈有利。 資料圖片
勞工及福利局局長張建宗本月宣布優化原有「鼓勵就業交通津貼計劃」，將2人及3人家庭的入息限額分別由8,500元及1.2萬元，提高至1萬元（編按：現為1.2萬元）及1.3萬元，令符合入息限額資格的人數由33萬增至37.8萬（編按：現為43.6萬人），但計劃將維持以家庭為計算單位。提供交通津貼有利紓解民困，並鼓勵就業，符合社會的整體利益，申請限制宜鬆不宜緊。當局應容許市民選擇以個人或家庭為申領單位，讓更多市民能符合資格，更好地發揮鼓勵就業的效果。
雖然當局的優化版增加了申領的入息上限，令符合申領的人數大幅上升，但由於計算標準仍以家庭為單位，仍然可能令受惠人數減少。以一個3人家庭為例，入息限額是1.3萬元，如果父母都出外工作並領取最低工資，已經不符申領資格。最低工資是保障工人收入的下限底線，但申領交津的資格卻不可高於最低工資，在道理上說不過去。
同時，踏入兔年衣食住行加風四起，基層市民將面臨通脹加劇之苦，交通津貼愈早落實對基層市民愈有利。較務實的做法是，立法會先行通過有關撥款，確保交津計劃能夠如期落實。同時，當局應及時跟進計劃成效，準確把握有多少家庭因為新規定而失去申領資格？如發現計劃成效不彰，不應等到3年後才作全面檢討（編按：現為1年），而應當機立斷擴大申領資格，改為家庭和個人的「雙軌制」。
Transport subsidy rules should be relaxed to provide incentives for employment
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Mr Cheung Kin-chung has this month announced the enhancement of the previously proposed Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme, raising the household income limit for 2-member families from HK$8,500 to HK$10,000 (editor's note: currently HK12,000) and that for 3-member families from HK$12,000 to HK$13,000. The enhanced scheme increases the number of people meeting the income limit requirements from 330,000 to 378,000 (editor's note: currently 436,000); nonetheless, calculation still remains to be on a household basis. Transport subsidy, as a way to help alleviate poverty and encourage employment, is in line with the overall interest of the society. Therefore, limits should be relaxed rather than tightened. The authorities should allow applicants the option to apply for the subsidy on an individual or a household basis so that more people can be eligible and the scheme can work more effectively as an incentive for people to work.
The enhanced proposal has raised the income thresholds and significantly increased the number of people eligible for the scheme; however, when household remains to be the basis for calculation, the number of people who can benefit from the scheme can actually be reduced. Take a 3-member family as an example. For them, the income limit for applying for the transport subsidy is HK$13,000. If both parents go out to work and earn the minimum wage, the family will not be eligible to apply for the subsidy. The minimum wage is a baseline set to guarantee the minimum income level of employees. It seems not really sensible if the threshold income level for transport subsidy cannot be higher than that of the minimum wage.
What's more, as we moved into the year of the Rabbit, prices of everyday necessities such as clothing, dining, accommodation and travel have been rising continually. The grassroots will have to suffer from soaring inflation; it will serve their interests better if the transport subsidy can be implemented sooner. A more practical approach is to have the Legislative Council first pass the request for appropriation to make sure that the scheme can be implemented as scheduled. Then, on the other hand, the authorities should timely follow up to check the effectiveness of the scheme and accurately assess the number of families who lose their eligibility under the new rules. If the new scheme is found to be ineffective, the authorities should not wait until 3 years (editor's note: currently 1 year) later to have a thorough review of the scheme. Instead, they should decisively expand the eligibility and adopt the "dual track" approach which allows applications to be made on either a household or an individual basis. ■Translation by 開明 chi.ming818@gmail.com
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